A Book List for Parents

Each month we share a book list.  Typically it aims to give parents a list of books to share with their children based on a particular theme.  This month we take a short break from children’s books to provide parents with a list of their own.

Whether you are looking for original titles written by Montessori herself, modern parent-friendly guides, or other books that may be of interest to Montessori parents, this list is for you. (Click on the book's image for purchasing information.)

The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies

This new and very popular title was recently published via a Kickstarter fund.  Written by an experienced and certified Montessori teacher, it details ways parents can support the unique (and constant!) needs of toddlers.  It shares how Montessori’s ideas can be applied by parents with children ages 1-3 in the home.

Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Stoll Lillard

This book is the ultimate guide for anyone who is discovering Montessori or is interested in gaining a modern scientific perspective of the approach.  Lillard, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, was awarded the Cognitive Development Society’s book award for this title.  In an easy-to-read format, she aligns Montessori’s original ideas with current research findings.    

How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin

This book was written for parents of children from birth to six years of age.  Now on its second edition, How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way has helped many families by describing Montessori’s basic ideas and giving clear, helpful examples of what you can do at home to support your child’s development.  Readers will gain information about a wide range of topics like brain development, gentle discipline strategies, and how to foster independence - with plenty of specific strategies.

Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education by Trevor Eissler

This much-loved and easy to read book is another great introduction to Montessori.  Written by the parent of Montessori children it weaves the stories of one family’s journey into the teaching of Montessori’s hallmarks, including the sensitive periods, the prepared environment, and freedom of choice.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

This is not a Montessori book, but will appeal to Montessori parents nonetheless.  Louv writes about how time spent in nature directly relates to child development.  He argues that many of the physical and emotional issues faced by children today are a direct result of our decreased contact with the outdoors.  Louv was the 2008 recipient of the Audubon Medal; you can learn more about his work at http://richardlouv.com/. 

Interested in reading some of Montessori’s original works?  Check out these titles:

What You Should Know About Your Child by Maria Montessori

Writing directly to parents, Dr. Maria Montessori published this book in an effort to teach parents what she had learned about both physical and mental development of young children.  Many of Montessori’s works in their original form can be hard to find on sites like Amazon; NAMTA (the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association) has a website that is a great resource for parents and educators.

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori

Montessori considered the period of birth to six years of age to be the most significant developmental period in a child’s life.  This book illustrates those developments and how we might prepare an environment conducive to aiding the child on this journey.  

The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori

This book is another great summary of Montessori’s work and ideas.  It is based on the concept that children desire to learn, that as adults our role is to recognize their potential, and what we can do do facilitate their growth.  While traditional education encourages teachers to be the center of a classroom, Montessori education focuses on the child.  Children are given the freedom to make their own work choices, while the adults are there to serve as support and guides.

To Educate the Human Potential by Maria Montessori 

This book was written to explain how the Montessori method applies to children older than six years.  The elementary curriculum is very different from the primary curriculum.  This is intentional and out of respect for the child’s development.  Children at the elementary level are very social, have wonderful imaginations, and experience a deep craving to learn about the world and universe.  In this book Montessori outlines how we might prepare an environment that serves older children and their unique developmental needs.

Five Reasons Why You Should Share Why You Chose Montessori

You made the decision to enroll your child (or children) in a Montessori school and you couldn’t be happier.  You see the benefits, you relish in the joy your child has for learning, and you know you made the right choice.  But for whatever reason, you may hesitate to share this with other parents.  Why do families hesitate to actively advocate for Montessori?  Here are five reasons to reconsider:

1. It’s Not a Competition

Sometimes parents might feel that if they advocate for Montessori, it’s akin to bashing other methods of education.  The truth is, it doesn’t need to feel that way.  There are many great approaches to education and Montessori is just one of them.  While Montessorians feel that the method works for most children it’s only fair to acknowledge that other methods can work, too.  

Singing praises for Montessori doesn’t mean putting down other methods.  It just means you are sharing what you love about an approach to education that many teachers and parents have seen work for children.  

When we learn about Montessori it is natural to make comparisons to traditional or conventional models.  When talking to other parents about why you chose Montessori, don’t feel pressured to share those comparisons.  It’s okay to just emphasize what Montessori is, rather than what conventional methods are not.  As other people learn more about Montessori, they will likely draw the same conclusions you did during your own discovery.

2. Your Story is Valuable

People love to hear first-hand accounts.  We tend to value the actual experiences of people we know and trust over advertising.  Your opinions and what you have to say about your child’s experience with Montessori means much more than you might realize.

Consider this: if you are about to make an important decision, do you consult the internet, a pamphlet, a billboard, or your family and friends?  While there are many great sources to gather information, we all place the most value in the experiences of the people we care about.

When you choose to share your families’ personal Montessori story, you are sharing information that others will listen to.  You are telling people about a school experience that has made a positive impact in your child’s life.

3. Other Families are Looking for Alternatives 

While some people are more vocal than others, many families are not content with their child’s current school.  Whether a school emphasizes high-stakes testing, loads children down with hours of homework, or simply has not found a way to individualize instruction, there are plenty of parents who are actively looking for an alternative.  Even if they are not actively searching, it can give parents hope when they hear about an option that serves as a solution to many current challenges in education.

There are certainly many great schools out there, and some of those use conventional or traditional methods.  Even so, not every family may be happy with the approach for their child.  Parents of high-achieving children may notice their son or daughter becoming bored or disliking school as a result of not being challenged enough.  Parents of children who need extra support may notice the pace and structure of conventional schools leaving their child behind.  Sometimes parents will begin to question to importance of frequent standardized testing that many conventional school utilize.  Regardless of the reason, rest assured that there are many families who wish there were a better setting for their child.

4. We Need to Debunk the Stereotypes

Sometimes people dismiss Montessori as soon as they hear the name.  There are plenty of unfortunate stereotypes that hound Montessori education.  Many of these originate in complete misunderstanding of the method’s principles, although it is easy to see where the ideas might come from if one has not actually visited a Montessori school to observe in person.

People may ask you why Montessori students get to do whatever they want.  They may insist that children need structure to feel safe and to be successful.  As the parent of a Montessori child, you have the unique position of being able to set the record straight, authentically.  You know that Montessori agreed that structure is important for children, but she saw the value in choice as well.  The key is to give children choice within limits, thus providing boundaries while also giving the empowering opportunity for children to learn how to trust their own judgement.  It’s a lot like how, as parents, we often give our children two choices: both will satisfy our own goals but the child is left with some say in the decision.

A lot of people have concerns regarding a child’s eventual transition from a Montessori school to a conventional middle school, high school, or even college.  They worry that the safe bubble a Montessori community can provide will fail to prepare them for ‘the real world’.  On the contrary, Montessori tends to prepare children better for ‘the real world’ than many other methods of education, and its graduations go on to be beacons of innovation, kindness, and contributors to their communities.  Montessori classrooms teach children to work independently and cooperatively, and not just with children their own age.  Montessori guides children to cultivate their own independence, as well as time management skills and internal motivation.  

There are plenty of other Montessori myths out there, including that it is religious-based, not academically challenging enough, or too expensive.  Your personal experiences and knowledge might serve as a way to educate others on the way a Montessori school really operates.

5. It’s Worked for Over 100 Years

It helps to remember that Montessori is not a new approach.  Dr. Maria Montessori developed her methods over a hundred years ago.  They are based on scientific observation and a deep understanding of child development.  Montessori is not a fad, but an approach to education that, while not in line with conventional methods, has certainly stood the test of time.  What’s more - Montessori is spreading in the United States with new schools opening every year.  Montessori is considered an alternative approach by many, and while it is still not widely understood by most Americans, its popularity is increasing.  

As a Montessori parent, your voice is important.  If you love the opportunities your child has had, why not share the love?  You might just make a difference in the life of another child and their family.

Montessori and the Exceptional Child

Any parent considering Montessori for their child is sure to have lots of questions.  Perhaps one of the most prominent is: “Is this the best setting for my child?”  Parents of exceptional children have specific learning needs to consider.  Montessori schools can be an excellent option for many kids.  This blog post details some of the ways in which the approach meets the child where they are, but is not meant to be an exhaustive list.  

General Points to Keep In Mind

Montessori teachers are trained to differentiate learning for each individual child.  Children work at their own pace.  Many families find that accommodations listed on IEP or 504 documents are an easy fit in a Montessori classroom, or they may already be a natural part of the daily structure - for all students.

Learning Disabilities

All children learn at their own pace.  When a child has trouble processing information in some way, they need teachers who will work with their strengths and support them where they need it most.  

One of the benefits of the multi-age classroom (as is found in Montessori schools) is that a child never has to feel left behind.  With a wider range of ages and abilities, your child will never feel the pressure of sticking with the group.  A single student can enjoy advanced math work and also get targeted lessons in reading if that’s where they need more support.  Chances are, they’ll have a classmate to work alongside who will be doing the same thing.

As a bonus, most Montessori materials are self-correcting, so a child knows immediately if they’ve made a mistake without teacher intervention.  This allows them the chance to work through their problems and find solutions independently.

Most lessons are given individually in the primary level, and either individually or in small groups at the elementary level, so your child is guaranteed to receive the personalized instruction they need to feel successful.

Attention Difficulties

Most children who have trouble with focus and attention just have a different style of learning.  Many children need to incorporate movement breaks into their day.  Some need guided structure.  Both of these opportunities are available to all children in Montessori classrooms.

Physical and movement breaks are inherent in Montessori schools.  When a child has the freedom to work independently, they get to decide when they complete a work and are ready to move onto the next.  This gives them a chance to listen to what their bodies need, and respond accordingly.  Many Montessori classes have in-room gross motor opportunities, or direct access to the outdoors.  

As children get older and academic expectations increase, Montessori teachers give kids tools and strategies to manage their time and work.  Many children rely on a work plan to give them direction throughout the work cycle while also allowing for a measure of free choice.  This way, kids feel empowered through their own decision-making while also feeling the comfort of a basic structure.  

Various seating options are helpful for children with attention and focus issues as well, especially as a child gets older.  Sometimes input from nearby peers can be distracting, and having the option to sit independently for at least a portion of the work period is a great solution for many children.  This is another area in which children in Montessori classrooms are able to figure out their own learning needs, and adjust their day accordingly.

Sensory Needs

There are a wide variety of sensory needs in children.  One important factor to consider is that sensory development starts in very young children.  Maria Montessori recognized this over 100 years ago, and worked to create a series of materials that helps children refine this development.  One entire portion of the primary (ages 3-6) curriculum is called the ‘sensorial’ area.  Children use materials that help them refine their use of the five senses: tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory.

Some children have other types of sensory needs.  Students with proprioceptive needs will appreciate the ability to move around their classroom frequently, use different types of seating, and practice walking on a line as part of Montessori’s control of movement lessons.

For children with vestibular needs, Montessori’s walking the line activity will also be helpful.  Many Montessori classrooms incorporate yoga, and while all the poses are helpful for kids, inversion poses are particularly helpful for children who crave certain types of sensory input.

Accelerated Learners

Some children tend to understand concepts at a faster-than-typical rate.  For these children, it is critical to find work that inspires them while also keeping it age-appropriate.  When Montessori teachers are trained, they learn about curriculum that goes several typical years beyond the level they plan to teach.  They always have lessons ready for accelerated learners.  This helps keep kids engaged and happy.  Having a wide range of materials available is yet another benefit of the multi-age classroom.

Confidence is Key!

When children are made to feel successful at school, they feel good about themselves.  While Montessori education doesn’t provide kids with external rewards, it sets kids up to learn and achieve their goals while respecting who they are as individuals.  Gaining the confidence in themselves as learners is one of the greatest gifts we can give a child, and it sets them up for a lifetime love of learning, regardless of how they navigate that process.

Montessori Basics: The Benefits of Multi-Age Grouping

One hallmark of a Montessori education is the use of multi-age classrooms.  Infants and toddlers may be together or separate, with a toddler classroom serving children 18 months to three years.  Primary classrooms are for children ages 3-6, with preschool and kindergarten-aged children together.  The elementary years serve children ages 6-12; some schools separate into lower (6-9) and upper (9-12) elementary, while many split elementary into two groups.  Even Montessori middle- and high-school students learn in multi-age classrooms.

While Montessori is not the only type of education that utilizes this approach, it’s not what most people are used to.  What are the benefits of structuring a classroom this way?  Read on to learn more...

Learning at an Individual Pace

Children in multi-age classrooms tend to have a little more flexibility when it comes to mastering skills within a specific timeframe.  We know that learning is not linear, and that learners have periods of significant growth, plateaus, and even the occasional regression.  In multi-age classrooms, children are typically able to work at their own pace without the added pressure of keeping up with the whole group, or even being held back by the whole group.  

When children in a classroom range in ages, everyone has someone they can work with, regardless of their skill level.  Children don’t feel left behind if they struggle with a concept, and they also don’t feel bored by repetition of something they have already mastered.  Teachers who teach in multi-age classrooms typically have deep knowledge for a range of developmental abilities, leaving them well-equipped to differentiate instruction for each individual child.

Building Stronger Relationships

Traditionally children move from one class to the next each year.  This means not only a new set of academic expectations, different routines, and different classroom structures, but a different teacher.  

In multi-age classrooms teachers have a longer period of time to get to know a student and their family, and vice versa.  When teachers really get to know a student, they are able to tailor instruction in regards to both content and delivery.  They know how to hook a specific child onto a topic or into a lesson.  They know what kind of environment a child needs to feel successful.

Parents have an opportunity to get to know teachers better this way, too.  If your child has the same teacher for two or three years, the lines of communication are strengthened.  Parents get to know the teacher’s style and expectations.  The home to school connection becomes more seamless, and the biggest beneficiary is the child.

Mentors and Leaders

When a child spends multiple years in the same class they are afforded two very special opportunities.  

Children who are new to the class are fortunate enough to be surrounded by helpful peer mentors.  Children often learn best from one another, and they seek to do so naturally.  First and second year students watch as the older children enjoy advanced, challenging work, and this inspires them.  They look to the older children for guidance, and the older children are happy to provide it.  

After a year or two in the same room, students have a chance to practice leadership skills.  In Montessori classrooms, the older children are often seen giving lessons, helping to clean up spills, or reaching out a comforting hand to their younger friends.

The best part is kids make the transition from observer to leader in their own time.  It doesn’t happen for all children at the same time, but when it does it’s pretty magical to observe.  

Mirroring Real-Life

There is no other area in life in which people are split into groups with others who are exactly their chronological age.  Whether in the family, the workforce or elsewhere, people ultimately need to coexist with people older and younger than themselves.  Doing so makes for a more enriching environment, replete with a variety of ideas and skills.  

Why not start the experience with young children in school?

Moving On

While staying in the same class for multiple school years has many benefits, a child will eventually transition into a new class.  While this can feel bittersweet (for everyone involved!) children are typically ready when it is time.

The Montessori approach is always considering what is most supportive of children depending on their development.  When formulating how to divide children into groupings, Maria Montessori relied on her ideas about the Planes of Development.  There are very distinctive growth milestones children tend to reach at about age 3, another set around age 6, and yet another at age 12.  The groupings in our schools are intentional, and they give kids a chance to feel comfortable in their community, while also preparing them to soar forward when the time is right.

Montessori Basics: The Planes of Development

Maria Montessori based her entire educational philosophy on the idea that children develop through a series of four planes.  Each of these planes is easy to recognize and has clear, defining characteristics.  If we study and understand these stages, we can approach our interactions with children with a new perspective.  

Learning about the planes of development isn’t just for Montessori educators.  Understanding your child’s development can help at home, too.  

The First Plane: birth-6 years

During this stage children absorb everything like sponges.  They are, indeed, excellent examples if what Montessori called ‘The Absorbent Mind.’  This is a time in which we are able to utilize what Montessori called sensitive periods of learning.  While each child is different, there are typical patterns that emerge in regards to brain development and general readiness to learn particular skills. 

During the first three years of this plane, all learning is done outside of the child’s conscious mind.  They learn by exploring their senses and interacting with their environment.  During the second half of the plane, from about 3-6 years, children enter the conscious stage of learning.  They learn by using their hands, and specialized materials in the Montessori classroom were developed with this consideration.

During this time, children have a wonderful sense of order.  They are methodical and can appreciate the many steps involved in practical life lessons in their classrooms.  The organization of the works on their classroom shelves is intentional, which appeals again to this sense of order.

The first plane is a time in which children proclaim, “I can do it myself”; it is a time of physical independence.

The Second Plane: 6-12 years

During the elementary years children begin to look outside themselves.  They suddenly develop a strong desire to form peer groups.  Previously, during the first plane, a child would be content to focus on their own work while sitting near others.  In the second plane, a child is compelled to actually work with their friends.  It is during this time that children are ready to learn about collaboration.

During the second plane there is a sudden and marked period of physical growth.  This may be a contributing factor to the observation that many children of this age seem to lack an awareness of their body, often bumping into things and knocking things over.  Children begin to lose their teeth around this time as well.  Their sense of order and neatness tend to fade a bit during this plane.

Throughout the second plane, children’s imaginations are ignited.  Since Montessori education is based in reality, we find ways to deliver real information to children through storytelling and other similar methods.  For example, when teaching children about the beginnings of our universe, Montessori schools use what is called a Great Lesson.  The first Great Lesson is a dramatic story, told to children with the use of props, experiments, and dramatics (think: a black balloon filled with glitter is popped to illustrate the Big Bang, with bits of paper in a dish of water used while talking about particles gathering together).  This lesson is fascinating for children in the way it is presented, but gives them basic information about the solar system, states of matter, and other important concepts.

Children in the second plane have a voracious appetite for information, and are often drawn strongly to what we in Montessori call the cultural subjects: science, history, and geography.  While we support their rapid language and mathematical growth during this time, we are also responsible for providing them with a variety of rich cultural lessons and experiences.

It is important to note that children develop a sense of moral justice at this time.  They are very concerned with what is fair, and creating the rules to a new game is often as important (if not more so) than playing the actual game itself.

This is the period of time in which children are striving for intellectual independence.

The Third Plane: 12-18

The third plane of development encompasses the adolescent years.  During the second plane, children become aware of social connections, but in the third plane they are critical.  During this time children rely heavily on their relationships with their peers.  They feel a strong desire to remain independent from adults, although they are not quite ready to do this entirely.  It is our job to find ways that allow them to experiment with independence while also providing a safe structure in which they may do so.

Children in the third plane tend to require more sleep, and they sleep later than when they were younger.  They long for authentic learning experiences, and Dr. Montessori imagined just that.  Her ideas of Erdkinder (children of the earth) led her to contemplate a school setting that would support children’s development during this time.  She imagined a farm school, in which children would work to keep the farm operational, but also contribute to planning and decision making while doing so.  

During the third plane children are refining their moral compass while developing a stronger sense of responsibility.

The Fourth Plane: 18-24

The final plane is a time in which young adults are striving for financial independence.  They are often living away from home for the first time, and use this time to figure out where they fit into their society.  Many make choices to further their education and/or explore career paths.

It is during the fourth plane that people begin to develop a truer sense of who they are as individuals.

Each plane of development should be mindfully nurtured.  If a child is able to experience one developmental phase in a rich and carefully prepared environment, they are ready to fully take on the next phase when it is time.

Montessori Basics: How Math Progresses Through the Levels

You know your four year old loves their classroom and their work.  You know their teachers are guiding them to learn early math skills.  But what, exactly, does that look like?  And how does it change as they get older?  Montessori math materials are nothing short of amazing.  While they look quite different than what we used growing up (pencil and paper?) there are intentional reasons for these methods.  Read on to learn more...

The Basics

Much of the Montessori curriculum is based on giving children exposure to concrete materials first, then giving them incremental opportunities to work to more abstract concepts.  This is no different when it comes to math.

What do we mean by concrete?  The children are able to hold a material in their hands.  The materials are symbolic or representative of something else (a number, perhaps), and that symbolism changes over time until children are ready to let go of the materials and find solutions on paper or even in their heads.  This idea of mastering a skill without the assistance of materials is what we refer to as abstraction. 

What Does Primary (Early Childhood) Math Look Like?

At the primary level math starts out simple, but you may be surprised at how much preschoolers are capable of.  

Even before a child is able to count, they experience the skill using materials like the number rods, a series of blue and red colored wooden rods that are arranged in a stair-like pattern.  Children learn how to count using a variety of materials.  The spindle box is an early material with which children place the correct amount of wooden spindles in compartments labeled 1-9.  Sandpaper numbers (just like their letter counterparts!) teach children how to correctly form each number to develop readiness for writing them on paper.

When a child is ready to learn about basic operations, there are plenty of materials to support them.  Montessori math uses the golden bead material; first to build numbers into the thousands.  For example a single golden bead represents 1, a group of 10 beads are strung together in a straight line for 10, and 100 beads are affixed into a flat square.  The thousand cube is as large as 1,000 of the original single ‘1’ bead.  Once a child is able to build a visual representation of a number, the beads are used to teach basic operations.  Young children are able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers into the thousands using this material.  They first learn with static problems - that is, with no exchanges - and then move on to more complex, dynamic problems.  They quickly learn that ten 1s is equal to one 10, and they do this by holding those numbers in their hands.

Montessori recognizes the importance of memorizing basic facts.  While when we were young we may have used flashcards to drill these facts into our heads, the Montessori approach begins by showing children why we manipulate numbers in different ways.  Young children appreciate the repetitive nature of the materials, which gives them plenty of opportunities to practice  (and memorize!) these facts.  The addition and subtraction strip boards show a child visually what is happening when we add numbers.  The same goes for the multiplication and division bead boards (which use small beads placed in divots on a wooden board to create an array).  

A Period of Overlap

Somewhere between kindergarten and the first year of lower elementary, children are taught to use new math materials depending upon their individual readiness.  The stamp game is a classic example.  

The stamp game material is a sectioned box with small colored tiles sorted inside.  There are labeled green, ‘one’ tiles, blue ‘ten’ tiles, red ‘hundred’ tiles, and green ‘thousand’ tiles.  Instead of holding a large cube that actually shows the relative size of one thousand as they did with the golden beads, they are now representing series of tiles that are all the same size, but are differentiated only by their color and number label.  Like the golden beads, the stamp game material is used to teach all four operations, with children adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing into the thousands.  Some children begin this work in their primary classroom and continue when they reach elementary, while others begin once they enter their lower elementary classroom.

It may be interesting to note that there are some Montessori materials that children spiral back to, over and over again, from ages 3 to 12!  The bead chains are a colorful, quintessential Montessori material.  In the primary classroom, children use them to learn how to count, and perhaps how to skip count.  In a lower elementary classroom they are used for skip counting and to help memorize multiplication facts.  In upper elementary children use them to solidify concepts like squaring and cubing, although they were indirectly preparing for that work for years previously. 

What Does Elementary Math Look Like?

Remember the green, blue, and red tiles of the stamp game?  Montessori refers to those as the hierarchical colors, and they are used to teach children about number series.  They first appear in the stamp game, but they continue to follow the child through lower elementary and into upper elementary until they have a firm grasp on the idea of the simple family of numbers (ones, tens, hundreds), the thousand family (thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands), and so on.

After a child masters operations with the stamp game, they move on to use a material called the bead frame, which can teach addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  It looks a bit like an abacus, but with ten beads on each rod in the hierarchical colors.  After a child masters the bead frame, they are typically ready to add and subtract into the thousands (and beyond!) using just pencil and paper.

To learn larger multiplication problems, children use a material called the checkerboard.  They begin small, but eventually work their way up to problems that have three or four digit multipliers.  For long division, children use a material that goes by different names at different schools: the racks and tubes, aka the test tube material.  Once children master the checkerboard and racks and tubes, they are able to multiply and divide large numbers without materials.

During the elementary years fact memorization continues.  In early lower elementary, many children continue to use the strip boards and bead boards of their primary years, but eventually move on to using finger boards and tables in which they place numbered tiles.  Children notice the patterns numbers make, giving them more tools to memorize their facts.

There’s More!

Of course, math isn’t just about operations.  Montessori students learn about geometry and fractions from an early age. 

Did you know that primary children learn the names of geometric solids?  They can easily identify not just cubes and spheres, but square based pyramids, rectangular prisms, ellipsoids, and more.  As they move into elementary they learn about range of concepts, including studies of angles, triangles, polygons, and so much more.  A third grader can easily identify a right-angled, isosceles triangle.

When it comes to fractions, first graders start out simple with an impressionist lesson involving an apple and a definition of fractions that includes how they must always be fairly divided (the connections between fractions and division are impressed early on).  They next move on to using fraction insets, which look a lot like the metal insets they used for handwriting preparation in their primary classrooms.  Before you know it, many third graders are learning to multiply and divide fractions.

Still Curious?

The best way to really understand Montessori math is to see the materials in action.  Schedule a visit to watch children using them in the classroom, or join us for our upcoming parent education session on Monday, March 26, 2018, 6:00-7:30.  Contact us for more details!  

Check out the stamp game in action: